Search Results for: x-men

Matt Fraction on AVX: Phoenix & Hope…The Big Payoff

 

Avengers Vs. X-Men #2 courtesy Marvel

  One of my favorite writers Matt Fraction was a special guest on the Axel-in-Charge column this week on Comic Book Resources – a Friday must for all Marvel fans. I really excited by his response to the question of what elements he will tap into for the upcoming Avengers Vs X-Men epic.

  “Not to put too fine a point on it, the Phoenix! I put a lot of my back into growing Hope as a character. I was very present in those early conversations figuring out what this little girl’s destiny was going to be — who she was and who she was going to become. And I became quite fond of her and what she represents. I have a daughter and we don’t have enough girl-heroes to go around. So the idea of being a part of telling this story where Hope and the Phoenix would encounter each other at long last? That was a huge payoff.

The Phoenix stuff, with the exception of being a red herring in one story arc, largely went untouched when I was on Uncanny [X-Men]. I just used it to kind of foreshadow that this was coming, though at the time I didn’t know when or how it would play out. Even though the plans have changed, you can see foreshadowing for this back in the early #500s. In my first four or five issues of “Uncanny,” we were foreshadowing “Second Coming” and “AvX.” And then I left the book, but to be back and now be a part of it is like having my cake and eating it too. And there’s a bunch of other stuff. There’s another big location that the gang goes to that I don’t want to spoil, but in issue #7, I got to do a real big piece of the Marvel puzzle that I hadn’t had a chance to touch otherwise. The whole event has been a chance to play with all the toys at once in all these fun, new combinations.”

For the entire interview click here.

  Fraction continues writing The Mighty Thor, Invincible Iron Man and The Defenders and his creator owned epic Casanova. It will be great to see him write with the X-Men again in AVX. I was a huge fan of his run. This is just speculation but I wonder if Matt might be a front-runner to take over the Avengers franchise after Bendis?

John Carter & Marvel Comics

Taylor Kitsch and Lynn Collins in Disney's John Carter

  I’m excited for Disney’s John Carter. Some lucky fans got be see a Q & A with director Andrew Stanton hosted by Geoff Butcher of Hero Complex. What I share with director Andrew Stanton is our early love of Edgar Rice Burroughs John Carter began with Marvel comics*. Stanton tells why the pre-teen boy in all of us can relate to John Carter of Mars.

  “When you’re 10 or 11 years old, and you’ve discovered girls, but they haven’t discovered you yet, and you’re reading about this ordinary guy that’s suddenly extraordinary on another planet, he’s got the coolest best friend, the coolest pet, and he’s winning the heart of the most beautiful girl in the universe, that’s like a checklist of everything you’ve ever wanted,” Stanton told the audience.

 

John Carter Warlord of Mars #1 courtesy Marvel

“My gateway drug was the Marvel comics of John Carter,” Stanton said. “My friends were drawing these four-armed creatures with tusks, and I said, ‘What are those?’ And they said, ‘Those are Tharks. This is Tars Tarkas,’ and then they threw the comic book at me. … By the time I was in high school finishing [the books], my girlfriends would call them my romance novels.”

Watch the entire interview here.

The legendary Marv Wolfman and Gil Kane created John Carter: Warlord of Mars back in 1977 for Marvel comics and ran for two years. I remember collecting these along with the Star Wars Marvel comics and my first Uncanny X-Men books.

Marvel is publishing new comics based on Edgar Rice Burroughs tales as prequels and sequels to the upcoming movie.

AVX: My Comic Book Shop’s Launch Party!

courtesy Marvel

  I know where I’ll be April 3rd at 8pm and I know which Marvel team I will stand with!

  Earlier this week Marvel revealed new promo art and announced that more than 1,100 comic book stores are having Avengers Vs. X-Men launch parties.

  I have been shopping at Zanadu Comics in Downtown Seattle since I moved to the Emerald City 14 years ago. I was thrilled when Perry told me Zanadu will stand with….The X-MEN!

  I love you Avengers but I’ve been loving the X-Men longer.

Top 5 for 2/29/12

The Walking Dead #94 Can a peaceful human society exists after a zombie apocalypse? Rick and his band of survivors have been through hell and back. Is Rick’s lack of trust and loss of faith costing his friends what might be a save haven.

Justice League #6 courtesy DC Comics

Justice League #6 Darkseid blasts DC’s biggest heroes but Batman has gone to hell for a last shot to save Earth.

The Darkness #100 A landmark issue with variant covers from the biggest artists in comics. Dark hero Jackie Estacado confronts the source of his power and misery – the Darkness itself – and the publisher says only one will walk away.

Avengers Prime: Big Three trade paperback Thor, Captain America and Iron Man will united on the big screen May 4th. This collection features classic stories starring the three biggest guns in the Marvel Universe.

X-Men Legacy: Necrosha Two great tastes that taste great together! Mutants. Zombies. Vampire Selene unleashes an army of mutants raised from the dead to attack the X-Men and execute her insane plan to becomes a goddess.

 

A Seattle Man’s Marvel Universe!

  A friend introduced me to the work of this super creative and devoted Marvel  fan! I begged to be introduced so I could show off his creations to the geek world! I really love that he gave Nightcrawler his own cloud of brimstone!

  “Nightcrawler and X-Force are still under constructions, but that was probably about 4 hours so far,” Michael told me about the time he puts into this labor of love.

  “I started do customs/modifications because the toy companies either weren’t making the characters I wanted, or weren’t getting all of the details right, so I either made them from scratch or modified them,” he added.

  I wanted to know about Michael’s early influences and favorites.

  “My first comic was actually a Batman comic back in the seventies, but that was probably the only DC comic I really ever had – I have always been a diehard Marvel fan. Spider-Man was my favorite as a kid, but I have grown to love the X-Men more than anything (can’t narrow it down to one character – love Nightcrawler, Beast, Colossus, Iceman and Wolverine in that order).  Favorite villain is by far Apocalypse (can’t believe they haven’t made a movie with him as the villain).”

  Michael’s creations are so stunning I wanted to ask him about advice for other fans who turn their comic book heroes into models. 

  “As for any tips – make something that will make you happy looking at it on your shelf… it is exciting to know you can have a one of a kind figure that you created. 

 Michael – I salute your creativity and share your passion!

My Comic Book Movie Oscars

The Cast of X-Men: First Class courtesy Marvel.com

Best Film: X-Men: First Class

 

Best Actor: Michael Fassbender as Erik Lensherr/Magneto

 

Best Actress: Jennifer Lawrence as Raven Darkholme/Mystique

 

Best Supporting Actor: Nicholas Hoult as Hank McCoy/Beast

 

Best Supporting Actress: Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter

 

Best Director: Matthew Vaughn X-Men: First Class

 

Best Villain: Tom Hiddleston/Loki

 

Best Script: X-Men: First Class

Captain America: The First Avenger courtesy Marvel.com

 

Most Inspiring Moment: Captain America bringing back Bucky and his unit back!

 

Best Special Effect: Asgard and the Bifrost

 

Best Human Special Effect: Chris Hemsworth (male) January Jones(female)

 

Best Costumes: Thor

 

Best Decision to Change a Costume for the Big Screen: Captain America

 

Gone Too Soon: Darwin, X-Men: First Class

 

Coolest Comic Book to Movie Makeover: Azazel (Jason Flemying) X-Men: First Class

Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes in Captain America: The First Avenger courtesy Marvel.com

 

Coolest Male Character I Hope to See in a Sequel: Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan)

 

Coolest Female Character I Hope to See More of in a Sequel: Lady Sif (Jaime Alexander)

 

Most Perfect Casting: Chris Evans (Steve Rogers) and Hugo Weaving (Red Skull)

 

Best Mix of Marvel Mythology in one movie while still keeping it accessible: Captain America: The First Avenger

 

Honorary Award: James McAvoy as Professor Charles Xavier. Michael Fassbender received most of the praise but he had the more demanding role. Everyone roots for the anti-hero. Xavier was the optimistic, steady yin to Erik’s passionate, revenge driven yang.  Xavier is the mentor to the other characters and McAvoy was the rock for the rest of the cast.

Tom Hiddleston as Loki & Chris Hemsworth as Thor in Thor courtesy Marvel

 

Honorary Award: Kenneth Branaugh! I had serious doubts about making Norse Gods, Asgard, and the Nine Realms accessible and enjoyable but he pulled it off beautifully. His Shakespearean background was perfect to infuse the Odin, Thor, Loki conflict with power and drama.

  A stellar year for Marvel superhero fans at the box-office. Great action, inspiration, and emotion. Thanks to all the creators and actors who accepted the challenge of bringing our heroes to the big screen.

 

Kitty Pryde’s Pregnancy and Wolverine’s Gamble

 

Wolverine and the X-Men #6 interior art courtesy Marvel

  An adventure in inner space and outer space for the students and staff of the Jean Grey School. Jason Aaron and Nick Bradshaw turn the joyride up several notches in Wolverine and the X-Men #6.

  Kitty Pryde’s mystery pregnancy is revealed. Beast and Rachel are inside the headmistress giving some students the most bizarre biology class/field trip in comic book history! Kitty’s condition is connected to my favorite new character Broo. Kitty’s body is under attack and now the entire school is invaded.

 Odd couple Wolverine and Quentin Quire are in outer space trying to beat the house at an intergalactic casino that Jabba the Hutt would frequent. The duo hopes to win enough money to save the school.

 

Wolverine and the X-Men #6 cover courtesy Marvel.com

  Aaron is a masterful at keeping the drama, action and tension high yet still keeping it brisk with moments of humor that fit perfectly. I’ve said before how Bradshaw reminds me of Art Adams. I was tremendously impressed by the detail on the variety of alien races inside the space casino and the Brood back at the school. I enjoyed this book from cover to cover. It’s the most fun I’ve had with a superhero comic.

Updated: John Carter Cast Set for Sequels

Poster for Disney's John Carter

(Update: Following up on the post below)

  Taylor Kitsch told /Film he won’t do John Carter 2 unless Director Andrew Stanton is involved. He told them what he would look forward to if a sequel happened:

 “It’s such an origin story for JC, this one, and you’re always trying to ground yourself, in the first weeks of any film, of the tone, the character, of all that stuff. But now we have it. This sequel, we’re landing and we’re going full tilt. So that’s what I’m excited to do. You guys will know where John is so there’s no explaining the back story anymore. And I know where Stanton’s going with it and it’s pretty great.”

 

Taylor Kitsch and Lynn Collins in Disney's John Carter

(Previous Post)

I’m eagerly awaiting Disney’s John Carter next month. Willem Dafoe plays the Martian warrior Tars Tarkas and tells The Playlist he and other actors are signed on for sequels.

 “If it succeeds, there are potentially two or three of them and I know Andrew’s signed on, Taylor [Kitsch]’s signed on, Lynn [Collins’] signed on. So if it happens, I know it’s the same people and there’s only the hope that we can go deeper.”

  For those new to the story Edgar Rice Burroughs (Tarzan) created a fantastic series of books featuring an Earth man transported to Mars. No little green men here. The various warrior tribes of the red planet call it Barsoom. Tars Tarkas a leader of the Tharks, big green warrior men.

  Disney’s John Carter marks a union of two Marvel movie universes. Taylor Kitsch was Gambit and Lynn Collins was Silverfox in X-Men Origins: Wolverine and Dafoe was Norman Osborn/Green Goblin in Spider Man. Thanks for Comic Book Resources.